Automatic gate-latch



A. J. SCHULTZE.r

AUTOMAHC GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILI-:D APILIS. 191s.

Patented Aug. 1,- 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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561.13011 uz ze A. 1. SCHULTZE.

AUTOMATIC GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED APII. I5, 191e.

1,1 93,431; f Patented Aug. 1,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@3.5; Sah al fre AUeUs'r J. scHUL'rzn, or GALvnsroiv, Texas.

AUTOMATIC GATE-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.,

Application led April 15, 1916. Serial No. 91,370.

To all fr/tom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUs'r J. SGHULTZE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Grate- Latches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Y

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a gate latch and one of its objects is the provision of a device of this character, which shall be simple, durable and eliicient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

Another object of this invention is to provide a swinging latch carried by a gate and a keeper secured to the gate post, which is adapted to be engaged by the swinging latch upon closing of the gate, thus'moving the latch into gate locking position.

A further object of this invention is to 'i provide means for normally holding the swinging latch in an active position, when the gate is in an open position, being moved to such a position upon opening of the gate.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel means for automatically locking the swinging latch, when said latch is moved into a gate locking position to prevent the gate from being opened and may be readily released by a manually operated means when desired.

lVith these and other .objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combina,- tion and arrangement of partsas will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of agate latch, constructed in accordance with my invention, F 2 is a front elevation of same, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 3 3l of Fig. 2, illustrating the swinging latch in a gate locking position, Fig. 4 is a similar view, illustrating the swinging latch in an active position, Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line of Fig. 3, illustrating the means of .locking the swinging latch in gate locking position, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of the means of journaling the swinging latch, and Fig. 7 is a similar view, illustrating the position and means for holding the swinging latch in a gate locking position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a gate and 2 a gate post, having a keeper 3 which is provided with a rounded end i secured thereto by any suitable fastening means. Secured to one side of the keeper 3 is a striker plate or stop 5 which also may be secured to the gate post 2 1n any suitable manner and its opposite end terminates in a plane with the rounded end of the keeper 3, forming a space between the striker plate or stop and the keeper 3.

A casing 6 provided with feet 7 formed on. the upper and lower edges and at one end thereof, is provided with openings to receive screws 8 for securing' the casing to the gate 1. The casing projects beyond the end of the gate 1 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, and this end is provided with a sleeve 9 having a central bore. The sleeve 9 is provided with a cut away portion 10 to form a bearing 11 positioned directly under the sleeve 9. A pin 12 provided with an enlarged upper end is ournaled within the sleeve 9 and adapted to bear upon the bearing 11. The pin 12 has secured thereon a swinging gate latch 13, wl'iich is provided with a pair of relatively spaced arms 11, one of said arms being' of a shorter length for a purpose which will be hereinafter more fully described. Formed on the swinging latch 13 and extending through the casing is an operating handle 15 and formed on the swinging latch and oppositely disposed from the handle 15 is a substantially triangular shaped lug 16, which is provided withan inclined engaging face 17, tobe engaged by a locking means which will be hereinafter more fully described. The sleeve 9 is provided with a cam face 18 and a recess 19, which is adapted to receive a shoulder formed on the enlarged endof the pin 12. Then the gate 1 is in an opened or partly opened position as illustrated in Fig. it, the shoulder 2O rests within the recess 19 of the sleeve 9 and when the gate is moved to a closed or gate locking position as illustrated in Fig. 3, the arms 14 of the swinging latch 13 engage the keeper 3 and cause said swinging latch to rotate, causing the shoulder to ride upon the cam face 1S, thus it will be seen when the gate l is in an opened.

Ihe casing 6 is provided with an opening adjacent the sleeve 9 to slidably receive a locking pin 21 which has its upper end bifurcated to form arms 22. 'Formed on the casing and adjacent the .opening therein are a pair of relatively spaced ears 23 which have journaled therein an operating lever 24 which is provided with one of its ends forked to provide arms 25 which are adapted to receive a pin 26 carried by the arms 22 of thelocking bolt 21 to provide a pivot connection 'between the operating lever 24 and the lockingpin 21 so that said locking pin 21 may be raised upwardly within the casing when desired. The locking pin 21 is provided with a cut out portion 27 to pro- :vide a reduced extension 28 which has a beveled face 29 adapted to rest and ride upon the inclined face 17 of the triangular shaped lug 16 when the swinging latch 13 is in. an active position as illustrated in Fig. 4. The Vlocking bolt 21 is adapted to ride upwardly upon the inclined face 17 of the lug 16 and drop behind the lug 16 when the swinging latchL is in gate locking position as illustrated in Fig. `3, to lockthe swinging latch 13 against rotation within the casing 6, thus normally holding the gate 1 in a closed position. Formed on the operating lever 24 is a projection 30 adapted to engage a shoulder' 31 formed on the casing to limit the downward movement of the operating lever to prevent the locking pin 21 from being entirely withdrawn from the casing. In order kto release the swinging latch 13 from a locked position, the operating lever 24 vis pushed downwardly raising the locking pin 21 from an engagement with the triangular shaped lug 16, thus bringing the swinging latch 13 so that the gate 1 may be pushed to an opened position. When the gate 1 is pushed to an opened position, the

lkeeper 3will cause the swinging latch 13 to move about its journal and the shoulder 20 to rest within the slot 19 of the casing, thus positioning the swinging latch in an active position as illustrated in Fig. 4. /Vhen the swinging latch 13 is in this position, lit is so positioned that upon swinging the gate 1 toward the gatepost 2, the arms 14 will engage the keeper and cause the swinging latch 13 to rotate into a gate locking position.

preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and.scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A gate latch comprising a casing, a sleeve formed on one end of said casing, a pin journaled in said sleeve, a swinging latch secured to the pin and adapted to engage a keeper when the gate is in a closed position, 'means for locking the swinging latch against movement when the gate is in a closed position,.and means for holding the swinging latch in an active position when thev gate is Vin an opened position.

2. A gate latch comprising a casing secured to a gate, a sleeve formedy on one end of the casing, said sleeve, provided with a cut away portion to formI a bearing, a pin,

journaled in said sleeve and resting upon Wsleeve, a pair of relatively spaced arms formed on the swinging latch and adapted to engage a keeper when the gateis in a closed position, means for locking the swinging latch against movement when the gate is in a closed position, and means for holding the swinging latch in an activeposition when the gate is in an openedposition.

3. A gate latch comprising a casing secured to agate and a keeper secured toa gate post, a striker plate secured to the keeper providing a space between thekeeper and the striker plate, a sleeve formed on one end of the casing, said sleeve provided with a cut away portion to form a bearing, a pin journaled in said sleeve and resting upon the bearing, a swinging latch secured to the pin, an arm formed on the swinging latch, a pair vof relatively spaced arms formed on the swinging latch and one of said arms being of ,shorter length than the other to engage one sideof the keeper when the gate is moved to'a closed position, the other arm adapted to pass between the keeper and the striker plate when the gate is in a closed position, and means for locking the swinging vlatch against movement when in a gate locking position, and means for holding the swinging latch in an active position when the gate is in an opened position.

4. A gate latch comprising a casing secured to a gate, a sleeve formed on said casing, lsaid sleeve provided with a cut out portion to form a bearing, a pin journaled in said sleeve and resting upon the bearing, a swinging latch secured to the pin, a handle formed on the swinging latch and eX- tending through the cut out portion of the casing, a pair `of relatively spaced arms formed on the swinging latch and adapted to engage a keeper when the gate is in a closed position, a lug formed on the swinging latch, a sliding pin within the casing and adapted to engage the lug to lock the swinging latch against movement when the gate is in a closed position, and means for raising the locking pin from an engagement with the lug to release the swinging latch.

5. A gate latch comprising a casing, a swinging latch journaled to said casing, a handle formed on said swinging latch, a pair ot' relatively spaced arms formed on the swinging latch and adapted to engage a keeper when the gate is in aclosed position, a substantially triangular shaped lug formed on the swinging latch andprovided with an inclined bearing surface, a pin slidaloly mounted in the casing and resting upon the inclined bearing face of the lug when the gate is in an opened position, said pin provided with a reduced extension adapted to engage one side of the lug and lock the swinging latch against movement when the gate is in a closed position, and means for raising the pin from an engagement with the lock to free the swinging latch.

6. A gate latch comprising a casing secured to a gate, a sleeve formed on said cask ing, a swinging latch journaled to .said sleeve, a pair of relatively spaced arms formed on the swinging latch and adapted to engage a keeper when the gate is in a closed position, a substantially -triangular shaped lug formed on the swinging latch and adapted to be positioned within the casing when the gate is in a closed position, a locking pin slidably mounted in the casing and in engagement with one side of the lug when the gate is in a closed position to lock the swinging latch against movement, said locking pin provided with its upper end bifurcated toform a pair of relatively spaced arms, a pin secured to said arms, au operating lever pivoted to said casing and provided with a pair of relatively spaced arms to receive .the pin between the relatively spaced arms of the locking pin to raise said locking pin from an engagement with the lug to free the swinging latch, and means for holding the swinging latch in an active position when the gate is in an open position.

7. A gate latch comprising a casing secured to a gate, a sleeve formed on said casing, a swinging latch journaled to thesleeve, a pair of relatively spaced arms formed on the swinging latch and adapted. to engage a -keeper when the gate is moved into a closed position, a lug formed on said swinging latch, a locking pin slidably mounted in the casing and adapted to engage the lug to hold the swinging latch against movement when the gate is in a closed position, said locking pin provided with its upper end loifurcated to form a pair of relatively spaced arms, an operating leverpivoted to said casing and provided with one of its ends bifurcated, a

pin adapted to extend through the arms of,

the operating lever and the arms of the locking pin, an extension formed on the operating lever,` a shoulder formed on the casing to engage the extension to limit the downward movement of the operating lever, and means for holding the swinging latch in an active position when the gate is in an opened position.

8. A gate latch comprising a casing, a. sleeve formed on said casing, a pin journaled in said casing, a swinging latch secured to said casing, a pair of relatively spaced arms formed on the swinging latch and adapted to engage a keeper when the gate is in a closed position, means for locking the swinging latch against movement when the gate is in a closed position, a cam formed on the upper endof the sleeve providing a recess, a shoulder formed on the pin and adapted to rest in the recess of the sleeve to hold the swinging latch in an active position when the gate is in an open position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST J. SCHULTZE.

Vitnesses:

A. B. CooK, J. G. HUGHES.

Copies of this patenmay be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

